David Joseph Schmidt (born April 22, 1957) is an American former baseball pitcher and coach.[1] He played for the Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Montreal Expos, and Seattle Mariners in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1981 and 1992. Schmidt threw and batted right-handed. He was a minor-league pitching coach with the Orioles from 1998 to 2024.
| Dave Schmidt | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: April 22, 1957 Niles, Michigan, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 1, 1981, for the Texas Rangers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 26, 1992, for the Seattle Mariners | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 54–55 |
| Earned run average | 3.88 |
| Strikeouts | 479 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Schmidt played high school baseball at Granada Hills High School in Los Angeles, California, graduating in 1975. He then played college baseball for the nearby UCLA Bruins, going 24–7 over three seasons.[2]
Texas drafted Schmidt in the 26th round of the 1979 MLB draft.[3] He made his MLB debut in May 1981, working as a starting pitcher. His 1982 season, working partly as a reliever, ended with an elbow injury in September. He returned from the disabled list in May 1983. He led Rangers pitchers in saves and appearances in 1984.[2]
The Rangers traded Schmidt along with Wayne Tolleson to the White Sox for Scott Fletcher, Edwin Correa, and José Mota on November 25, 1985.[4] He signed as a free agent with the Orioles on January 16, 1987.[5] He had his second surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow in 1987.[6] He was a relief pitcher and spot starter during his first two seasons with the Orioles before moving to the starting rotation in 1989, when he was the Baltimore's Opening Day starter. He returned to a relief role in August.[7][6] Schmidt signed as a free agent with Montreal after the season.[6] He signed with the Mariners in late March 1992, pitching in his final three MLB games before being released in June.[3]
Schmidt was a minor-league pitching coach and coordinator with the Orioles from 1998 until the team declined to renew his contract on September 9, 2024.[8]
References
edit- ↑ Holtzman, Jerome (August 23, 1988). "Pitchers Schmidt, Stieb Become Players to Watch". Orlando Sentinel. p. C1.
- 1 2 1989 Baltimore Orioles Media Guide. pp. 161–163.
- 1 2 "Dave Schmidt Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball Reference. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
- ↑ Newberg, Jamey (April 21, 2020). "Masterstrokes and mishaps: The Rangers' best and worst trades with every team". The Athletic.
- ↑ Baltimore Orioles 1987 Media Guide (scroll down to page 177). Retrieved September 13, 2024.
- 1 2 3 Montreal Expos 1990 Media Guide. pp. 159, 160.
- ↑ Chass, Murray (January 7, 1990). "Baseball Notebook; Yanks Champs! In 80's Payroll, That Is". The New York Times.
- ↑ Kubatko, Roch (September 12, 2024). "Schmidt leaving Orioles organization after 27 years (and other notes)". MASN.
External links
edit- Career statistics from Baseball Reference · Baseball Reference (Minors) · Retrosheet · Baseball Almanac
